Retaining sea wall



April13,194s. 1 HURT 2,429,506I

RETAINING SEA WALL Filed April 12, 1946', 2 sheets-sheet 1 Tlqfi L v) .w *Vl/V. i

April I3, 1948. J. Hum 2,439,606

' RETAINING SEA WALL Filed April 12,*1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR, JM YSWJ( By WOM/twv, KW@ q Compu/l ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 13, :1948

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,439,60e` s RETAININGsEAWALL Joel Hurt, North Bay Island, Fla. Appiicanon April 12, 194s, serial No. 661,718

This invention is a novel retaining seawall or so-called bulkhead construction, such as is adapted to coniine and protect from attrition the earth or fill back of the Wall while the wall in turn receives backing from such earth or lill.

Numerous bulkhead or seawall constructions have heretofore been tried and used for sea, lake or river shores but without attaining entire satisfaction. The general object of the present invention is to afford a seawall of straight or curved alignment which possesses the attributes of being strong, rugged and rm in practical use, and highly effective for the intended purposes, while at the same time capable of long life and being of low cost of construction. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be made to appear in the hereinafter following description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention or will be understood by those conversant with the subject. To the attainment of such objects and advantages the present invention consists in the novel retaining seawall or bulkhead construction, and the novel features of combination, arrangement and detail herein illustrated or described. l.

1n the form herein disclosed the invention comprises in one aspect a combination of structural elements, namely, the wall body consisting of an aligned series of precast concrete slabs whose ends are interlocked, a spaced series of upstanding driven piles, preferably metallic, located contiguously frontwards of the slab series and upon which the slabs are sustained or hung in edgewise posture, and a series of upstanding concrete pilasters eld cast in spacedpositions adjoining the front face of the slab series with each pilaster embedding the upper part of one of the upstanding piles; and there preferably being a pile and its embedding pilaster afront each joint between adjoining slabs thereby bridging such joints and solidifying the wall structure; such combination and other features to be more `fully disl closed, including a desirable coping element or` from the water, offshore or front side, and broken away at occasional points to show details of structure beyond; an appropriate mean water line MWL being indicated, as well as a portion of` the submerged land or bottom B into whichuthe piles of the wall are driven. l i i Fig. 2, looking downwardly, is a horizontal sectional vlew, taken upon the section line Z--Zot 20 Claims. (Cl. 61-49) -2 Fig. 1, but on a much enlarged scale also used for others of thegures. f Fig. 3 is a horizontalA sectional view taken on the section line 3--3 of Fig. 4.

Fig'. 4 is a vertical sectional View taken on the sectionline 4--4 ofFig. 6, looking from the front, certain elements being omitted from this ligure. Fig. 5, looking from "the right," is a vertical sectionalview taken on the section line 5--5 .of

Fig. 1 or Fig. Y4, after the pilaster and wall cap have been applied.

Fig.' 6fis a vertical sectional View similar to Fig. 5 butftaken through "a pile on the section line 6-6 oiFig.1orFig.`4.

Fig. 7, looking downwardly, isa sectional view taken on the section line 'l--T of Fig. 8; while Fig. 8 is'a front elevational view, these two gures showing details of the occasional or periodic connections between the slabs and the piles.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic top plan view showing the construction of a suitable convex or semicylindrical casting form or mold temporarily attached to the `wall forthe field-casting of the pilasters against thefront side Aof the body or slab-series of the Wall.` i

VReferring first to Fig.Y 1, and stated generally, the seawall hereof comprises an aligned series of precast and reinforcedfconcrete slabs l l which constitute'the body of the wall, these being sustained in edgewise position and having their adjoining uprightV ends shaped, for 1 example as shown, for mutual fitting or interlocking atA the joints to unify the Wall; a series of upstanding piles I2 located frontwards of and contiguous (adjoiningA or adjacent) to the precast slab series; anda Aseries of upstanding concrete pilasters I3 which are fieldcast, that is, produced at the site, inposition's adjoining the front face of` `the slab series andeach pilaster `embedding one ofthe upstandingpiles. As a completingI main element the wall usually comprises also a substantially continuous coping orY wall cap I4, fleldcast of i concrete and embedding the tops of the slabs and pilasters. Preferably the respective concrete elements, the precast slabs and the eldcast pilasters and coping are unied not only by the casting and setting with bonding "of the pilasters and coping directly in p1ace,`but by reinforcing tie members extending between the elements.

The precast .slabs `I I` which mutually interlock and form the wall body are preferably relatively l tall, long and thin, for example each slab '7 feet 6 inches high and 10 feet long less 1A inch for jointage and 6 inches thick at the base, tapering to 4.5 inches at the top; these dimensions being merely illustrative and serving also to indicate relatively the dimensions of the other elements of the wall. The `wall body or slab series coniines behind it the landward earth or ll F, but is suspended infront thereof anrld'oes notnecesf.Y

sarily extendV downwardly' into the sea' bottom B. However the earth or fill usually extends below the wall slabs and at the front may pile up approximately to the mean low watenline MWL forming what may be called a front illv or burin FF. As the slab series extends.:well;`

below the mean low water line itslower. portion.

is embedded in and protected by and'between the back and front lls F and FF.

The upstanding piles I2farranged contiguously to the wall-body at the seawardsideare.driven downwardly at predeterminedinteryalsfv prefer'- ably the same as thehorizontal .length of 'the slabs, into the sea bottom.` Brand-'as largely practiced, the piles are-preferably-steel railway rails, cut oitV at their topA ends after'dr-i-ving, so that the series of pile..tops presen-.t ai uniform elevation for cooperating .with the'fthree concrete elementscfj the wall. v

The pilasters I3 lare castdirectlylin place to stand outward at the front side of,thefslabseries, in positions to embed the'u-pstandingV piles and adjacent parts; andwhile suchpilasters might be. given different locations at will-they, and the piles, are preferably looatedleachfrontwards of a joint between ytvvoadjoining slabs, thereby to bridge the slab joints' andbetter-solidify the wall structure. v

The coping I4 -in turnis cast directly inplace, by suitable-,front andback.- torms=movabler=longi tudinally during construction progress, and- `it becomes set vand united1 with the slabfand pilaster elements of lthe wall. In the designshowneach length offV ceping` overlies the underneathslab and pilaster,` and is formediw-ith a continuous rear ilange or skirty I5 depending slightlybehindfthef slab,l and a ydeeper front flange I6, shown concave toconstitute-an extendedfillet at the under- -side of thecopingf and reaching well` down along the upper face of the slab. Y

The fieldcastingof-thepilasters I3; whichis done partially below water,..requires afspecial mold or form, aifidwin-.ligxA 9-1there isshown a semicylindrical upright mold ormatrix IIset surrounding' thev pilesbelowtheslaby level;` This underneath extension orbulge--20fis roughly in'- dicated in Fig 6, mushroomed into ltheiillingmaterial F and Y In regard. toY wallijeintage there-v are-shown,

iirst, regular joints 21,. between adjacent slabs,`

which-'may-but need notbe ll-edfwith Ya Abonding orother suitable-jointmaterial; Aandywhen no packing isfintroduced during thefpla'cing; of

the slabs, there may be entry into the crevices of soup or grout during the forming of the pilasters. Secondly, there are periodic special expansion joints 22 between slabs, for example at the end 0i every fourth slab, or at Ll0 foot spacing intervals, these being somewhat wider than the regular joint spaces and being filled with resilient or cornpressible packing material which can allow for a practical degree of thermal expansion and contraction.` Correspondingrin position with the ex parisien joints 2-2 betwee'nlslabs there are shown expansion joints 23 between disconnected lengths oraforty foot sections of coping, so that the uniedislabs and coping may jointly partake of the same expanding and contracting movements at the ,samer points. To complete the expansion jointage. there is provided, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8',an'expansi0n joint 24 between an unconnected `the protruding Wire loop k29.

half ofthe contiguous pilaster and the coping section thereabove; with an additional expansion joint-Zbctween such unconnected pilaster half and the .adjacent wall slab 5I, thesev permitting relative Y longitudinal. sliding. motions as is necessary. The remainingY` structure shown in4 Figs. '7 and 8 will be.A hereinafter described.. g Y

Referring. further to the prefabricated'- wall slabs II, 4their` reinforcement is indicated ,asa

wire weshcoznprisinga system'of horizontal and vertical4 barsZfIA Yand k28` In addition to such vmain vreinforcement each slab. isshown as provided with certain other embedded Vor partly embedded elements Among 1these are wire' loop members Ea. protruding from thefront. `side `of the slab .above the middle thereof and hearv each end,. which` loops later become embedded in the f pilasters thusu aiordinginterlocking means between pilastersandlslabs supplementing the inter bonding thereof.- Each of'. theslab front loops 29 may be.used..for tying fthe slabs to the piles,

before the. pilastersarecastnbut their primary. purpose Ateaord `connecting means or protrusions by. which Itheslabs are sustainedor suspended edgewise postura, by f hangers 3D, from Vthe. top portionsV of vthe piles. Thus each hanger 3Q is shown as an inclined double-hook member, with its vupper-hooi: extending frontwardlyand engaging over the top ofthe pile flange Orvextension- 42 to be described, while` its lower hookextends laterally in engagement with Inv this way each slab is Asecurely mounted by theloose;hangers 3B at its two-v ends, receiving support from the upl-` right pilesiny preparation for the casting of the pilasters and coping sections.

Before thel pilasters lare cast, tor embed the pilesy and hangers adjacent to the front faces of contiguous-slabs, theslabs vare preferably tied toY but slightly spaced from the piles by suitable tyingrm'eans. Thus, forV example, near the Aupper part of each slab Yat eachend a wire tie 32 is provided, engaging, thevprotruding loop 29 and passing around .the pile, and the tie may be tightened byhaving itsends bent into holding engagement with the adjacent loops of two successive slabs,y

or by twisting its ends or otherwise. Near the lower part of each end 4of each slab isshown a second protrudingV loop 3i, and from two adjal cent lower loops. extends Va, second wire tie 32, likewise carriedaround the pile and twisted or securely fastened as by hooking its two ends to the respective loops, as shown. Each. hung slab thereby, :at upper'. and lower points at each end, is

tied to the previously driven-piles; but-it. is .preff erably spacedv somewhat` away from'` the piles, there being J:shown Igor thisY Vpurpose upper spacer blocks 33 near to or somewhat higher than the protruding loops 29 and lower spacing blocks 34 near or` below the lower protruding .loops 3|. These upper. and lower spacers, at each end of each slab, maybe composed of any desired material, being preferably simple preformed blocks of concrete, insertable in position at the time the slabs are being tied to the pilesin Vfront of them, and the subsequent formation ofl 4the pilasters serving to embed the spacer blocks and wire ties along' with the slab loops,` the hangers and the piles.

` Each slab additionally may be .provided,"pref erably near each end of its upper portion, with athrough hole 36, formed for example by coring, or later by punching, to receive the tie-back rod 45 to be further described; and each slab at its extreme top is provided with one orseveral protruding wire loops 31, as of hairpin form, partly embedded and locked in the slab, its upstanding end or loopl being in position to become embedded in the overlying copingI or wall cap I4 which thereby becomes'better tied to and unified with the body of the wall.

The aligned piles I2 are shown of the form of railway rails, each with a base flange or plate portion 4U connected by a web with an enlargement or ball 4|. In cutting `or burning off the tops of the series of piles to a uniform height, preferably the web and ball are cut somewhat lower than the flange, sobthat several inches of flange remain as an upstanding flat pile-end 42, thetop edge f which flange may be formed with a pair of notches 43 to receive the top hooks of the two hangers which depend from each pile top for the suspension of two contiguous slabs. The upstanding pile ends are also formed with holes 44 through which may be extended the back tie rods 45. l

Each of the tieback rods 45 is shown as extended through one of the holes 38 in a slab, preferably punched at the time, and thence through the hole 44 near the top of an adjacent pile. The rod has a prolonged thread at its'` front end, receiving a holding and tightening nut 46, which may be turned to draw rearwardly or landwards the upper end o f the pile and along therewith the adjacent slabs, by way of truing up the seawall. The tie rod 45 may extend backwardly atV a downward slant as is customary and at its rear end may be engaged with an anchor member or deadman 41, passing through a hole in such anchor piece and at its rear end carrying an enlarged head or preferably a back nut 48, which may be tightened as required, theseparts to be buried underground or confined by the portion of the filling which is placed behind the seawall during the progress of its erection, before the tightening of the front nut 48 and the casting of the pilaster. i

There was previously described the provision of expansion joints at suitable intervals, such as at the end of each fourth slab; `the Ajoints 22 and 23 extending through the slab part of the wall and the overlying coping, permitting thermal expansion and contraction, withoutwhich thewall body might buckle and the` pilasters' crack.A It was explaned that the pilaster at` such a joint is permitted tofbecome bonded -to` only one of the contiguous slabs which meet at the expansion joint,

drilled later tol receive the tieback rods. metal piles, which have tocarry the entire load Yof the wall, are driven into thesea bottom to a for each metalr pile.

of the slab and coping adjacent thereto; the hanger extending from the top of the embedded pile downwardly and rearwardly` to the slab, which has a minor but appreciable movement of expansion and contraction relative to the Dile and pilaster.

To afford play for these relative movements, the usual hanger is replaced by a special linked or chain hanger 50, which as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, comprises an upper hanger link 5I and a lower hanger link 52, these ilexible combined links extending from the pile top 42 to the protruding loop 29 of the slab. Since the embedding of these parts in set concrete would render them rigid, an internal non-rigid volume 53 is provided, within the pilaster volume, which is free of set concrete and is in nature of a cavity opening onto the slab surface, preferably filled however with a pliant or workable mass 53 as of putty, soft rubber, or' other jelly-like, elastic or plastic material, which is applied and roughly modeled to embed wholly the lower link and portions of the upper link and slab loop beyond. During expansion and contraction this arrangement ofthe lower link or hanger length permits a sufficient extent of relative movements between the low protruding loop 29 carried by the slab and the high hanger link 5| carried by the pile to permit relative sliding and prevent appreciable wear, breakage or other` damage adjacent to the expansion joints of the seawall. After the Wall is installed the cavity lling material, which was necessary during pilaster casting, isno longer esby attrition or otherwise.

A preferred method of'erecting the seawall" comprises the following steps. The slabs are prefabricated or precast and consistof reinforced concrete, with the protrusions Z9, 3l and 3l being embedded during casting and later taking part in the further construction steps. The slabs have complementary ends shaped for interengagement, and are formed with holes preferably The suitable depth and to the required bearing, and at proper intervals, suchas 10 foot spacing, along the desired contour of seawall, allowing for example a space of the orderV of 2 inches between the row of piles and theslab positions. The piles are then severed or burned off to a uniform height and part of the web and head of each pile removed near the top end to provide the upstanding flange 42, in which the notches 43 and rod hole 44 are burned or bored. The slabs are thereupon set up 'and suspended in alignment from the pile tops, `by means of the hangers, the latter being hooked at their lower'` ends into the protruding slab loops 25; It is understood that the "erecting work is carried progressively along the seawall, and that each s-lab is hung from the piles by both ends of the slab as described. Before'casting the pilasters each slab is spaced away from the two adjacent piles by thespacer blocks 33 and 34, while being tied to the piles by the upper and lower wire ties `32. Preferably the tieback rods are at this stage rpositioned and secured inthe manner described, at least one such tie rod Some tightening up of the tie `rodsat their back or forward ends, may now be performed. Alargepart of the nu may be placed. at this time,` llrngup to a point above the anchor plates 41the depression between the slab series and the solid earth behind.` The final di?? s.

the ping contour s howniri "5f and@ The coping thus iscaused to embed the top ends of to a suitable thickness, preferablyywitlia fiat tcp, the @610mg beine firmly lltlsinejt llltlely llt. 00ndtng but' bythe plietlttldng-helrpin .1.10am in. the Slabs, .and Stl'lller lnterlqlilne members that te introduced. into. .the vte etes, of .the puestas Also, the .copine may contain reinforcement 3.3,..

laid in platedurl: Casting# when the. .copine forms areremoved., alone each progressive sec.- tion 0f the .seawallthe 'cons'.truetion .thereof is completed Mld the 'lling vofthe space behind the wall may be completed, for example up to the..

in edgewise posture; 'a spaced series of upstaridingV driven piles `located contigdously frontwards'of the joints `betvtfeen the aligned series of slabs, hangers by ,Wlfl" theupper izrt'trft's of thepiles, and a series of up- "rete'pilasters feldcast in spaced positions adje the front face of said slab series, andwtleach'plastei located frontwards 'of a joint between twofadjoinng slabs and bridging such joint andI einb ing the upper' portion gf finexeoallapetfrraed.,

,dy cof the Wall, a spaced seriesA the slabs are suspended from.

' slabsand extend' up 'to a predet than the. pile tops and substantially Ve the Slebtopsd Y telelens.. Gr metal-10ers. embedded-ln. the while.. the pilasters embed ,the piles andere;

.. metes es, fOlIQWSVtlleMabs Gerry free trustees 0r metal 10ans embedded in .ttepita forming clearances occupied by the these parts.

5.V The seawall as irr claizril andwll piles. arej'lqeated afronttheidt 'b height; and thej suspended slabf fps: veri te a predetermined Height Ls'onieWlia l'ii thefpile' tops.; andthe pilasters'etiten 39 YE. Wille 6- TheSeaWall-es le Gleim 1 and wherein; the. slabs, piles and plasters havev interconn ting `r r` means as `follows: the slabs carry fije boiieeatthgslttt.

74 The, Sewell l21S irl Gleim 2. and weereinotlie. slabs,pil es and pilasters have interconnec ng While thepllesters embed -the elles andere. bonded to the slabs.r l

8. The Seawall es in. laim 1 and whereintthe;

slabs, piles and pilasters have interconnecting.

means as follows: the slabs carry front .'prpjfA trusions or metal loops embeddedjin the pilasters; and there are ties or. wires extendingfronigtsuclj protrusions and secured to the piles. 9, The seawall as in claim' 1 kand whereinthe slabs, pilest and pilasteljs" have interconnecting, means asn followsr the slabs carryifrbnt pxgf trusi'ons or metal loops embedded in' the `pila'sterls; and there'areties or Wires extending fron'fsuch protrusions and secured to the piles, 'aridtspace'r's or blocks inserted between the .slabsiandpiles pilasler .coni

crete.

10. The seawall as in 'claim 2 and wherein the slabs, piles"and"pi1asters have interconnecting means las follows: the slabs" carry frontpro'i trus'ions lo'r metal loops embedded in the pilsters'; and there are tisworwi-res extending'"'fr'oi` siic'h' protrusions' and v's'ecurefftci the piles; and s'pa s o'r blocks insertedibetwe'en" the "slabs" andpi forming clearances occupiedby'the'pil tco r 1 l .f /7 rivm. Vv-,Yr 'mL-.

lll A seawall as in claim 1 and wherein coping or wall-Cap'eldast ato'pthesla pilasters and embedding and bonded to tlie thereof. at

` I ZA s awall as in coping or wall-cap Held 4 pilasters'fand embedding ad'b tli'zreo'f i V1'3'. A seawall as in claim and back, the front flange extending well down along the slab faces and being concave.

15. The seawall as in claim 11 and wherein are periodic expansion joints of substantial width between slabs; the coping being in prolonged sections with wide joint spaces therebetween registering with the slab expansion joints; and the contiguous pilaster having its first half joined to one slab but its second half free of the contignous slab whereby its free second half can slide relatively along the second slab and connected coping during expansion and contraction.

16. The seawall as in claim 12 and wherein are periodic expansion joints of substantial width between slabs; the coping being in prolonged sections with wide joint spaces therebetween regis tering with the slab expansion joints; and the contiguous pilaster having its rst half joined to one slab but its second half free of the lcontiguous slab whereby its free second half can slide relatively along the second slab and connected coping during expansion and contraction.

17. In a retaining seawall, in combination, aligned series of precast concrete slabs sustained in edgewise posture, a spaced series of upstanding driven piles located contiguously frontwards of the joints between the aligned series of slabs, hangers by which the slabs are suspended from the upper part of the piles, and a series of upstanding concrete pilasters eldcast in spaced positions adjoining the front face of said slab series, and with each pilaster located frontwards of a joint between two adjoining slabs and bridging such joint and embedding the upper portion of the adjacent opstanding pile and as well the hangers by which the slabs are suspended from the piles; the slabs being spaced in groups with substantially closed joints between the slabs of each group, but with periodic open or expansion joints of substantial width between slab groups; and the contiguous pilaster at each expansion joint having its rst half unitary with one contiguous slab but its second half free of the next adjacent slab whereby its free second half can slide relatively 'along the second slab during expansion and contraction.

18. In a retaining seawall, in combination, aligned series of precast concrete slabs sustained in edgewise posture, a spaced series of upstanding driven piles located contiguously frontwards of the joints between the aligned series of slabs, hangers by which the slabs are suspended from the upper part of the piles; and a series of upstanding concrete pilasters eldcast in spaced positions adjoining the front face of said slab series, and with each pilaster located frontwards of a joint between two adjoining slabs and bridging such joint and embedding the upper portion of the adjacent opstanding pile and as well the hangers by which the slabs are suspended from the piles; and a coping eldcast atop the slabs and pilasters and embedding and bonded to the tops thereof;

. the slabs being spaced in groups with substantially closed joints between the slabs of each group, but with periodic open lor expansion joints of substantial \vidth between slab groups; the coping being in prolonged sections with wide joint spaces therebetween registering with the slab expansion joints; and the contiguous pilaster at each expansion joint having its first half unitary with one contiguous slab but its secondhalf free of the next adjacent slab whereby its free second half can slide `relativelyalong the second slab and connected coping section during expansion and contraction.

19. A seawall with expansion joints as in claim 17 and wherein the slab hanger at such second free pilaster half is a flexible or linked hanger, and is located within a cavity or recess formed in the pilaster whereby to provide play during expansion and contraction.

20. 'A seawall as in claim 1 and wherein is a back-stay or tie-back extended from the upper part of the wall rearwardly to an embedded anchor, with its front end secured to the pile top.

JOEL HURT.-

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,111,979 Upson Sept. 29, 1914 1,739,108 Weber Dec. 10, 1929 1,747,038 Weber Feb. 11, 1930 1,761,614 Collier June 3, 1930 1,933,483 Penn-ayer n Oct. 31, 1933 

